is. from vatican city, the pope holding the christmas day address. >> faithful around the world celebrate christmas. >> wonderful to be a part of it. it's bigger than we are. >> christians packed bethlehem. >> and catholics flocked to the cathedral of the immaculate conception. >> new york's faithful will gather today. >> my prayer is that the world will learn to live together. >> the town of western new york mourning the loss of two firefighters shot to death in an ambush. >> the gunman set fire to a car and a house to lure firefighters to his home. >> concerns about the weather. it does not end with snow and rain. >> tornados could pop up from texas to florida. >> travelers heading home for christmas face a delay when their plane caught on fire. no injuries are reported. >> a dramatic relation cue of man nearly washed away by the rain-swollen river. >> he had no energy left.

>> jack klugman has passed away. he is best known for playing "the odd couple." >> chuck pagano returned to his team as he continues to battle leukemia. >> i asked bruce to take over. you had to win nine games? >> all that matters. >> first lady michelle obama answers calls on the santa tracking program. >> on the third day of christmas -- >> my true love gave to me. >> that stupid hat. merry christmas and welcome to merry christmas, welcome to "cbs this morning." merry christmas to you and you. >> our first christmas together. >> our first christmas together. yeah. great place to be. looking forward to a healthy and happy new year as well. >> so am i. santa was good to you? >> well, i'm going to see when i

get home. he wasn't there when i left. since we get here so early, i'll check in when i get home. >> exactly. all right. before we get started though, let's go to rebecca jarvis for a quick check of the headlines. >> thanks i'm rebecca jarvis. from the midwest to the southeast, millions of americans are bracing for a christmas day storm. it's snowing in maryland and pennsylvania and blizzard conditions expected in oklahoma and arkansas, and they're under a winter storm warning. but the real trouble looks to be the potential for tornadoes in the southeast and meteorologist jeff berardelli of wfor has more. good morning, jeff. >> good morning, rebecca. already getting active out there, especially in parts of texas and louisiana. severe thunderstorm warnings are ongoing. the reason for it is right now we have a lot of energy in the atmosphere and what that's causing is the potential for a

widespread severe weather outbreak. winds out of the southeast and winds out of the southwest and that causes spinning in the atmosphere or wind sheer. this is a powerful system. a lot of the thunderstorms are going to become rotating super cell thunderstorms. we expect probably a lot of tornadoes and some of them could be on the strong side during the day today. >> all right, jeff, merry christmas. thanks so much. christians around the world are celebrating the birth of jesus. pope benedict delivered his annual christmas day message talking about what he called the slaughter in syria. earlier he talked about the need for god in a technology-driven world. and crowds packed manger square in bethlehem. authorities in western new york still don't know why an ex-con set fire to his house and then shot firefighters as they arrived two died in the ambush

and two others were wounded. jim axelrod reports. >> reporter: as the four firemen arrived to fight the fire, they were met with gunshots. >> we are being shot at. multiple firemen shot. i am shot. >> reporter: two of the men died instantly. two were wounded. >> be advised i'm snuck the lower leg, the knee area and the lower left back. >> reporter: the gunshots prevented the first responders from putting out the fire. seven homes were consumed by the flames. >> it is still an active investigation, but at first blush it appears that it was a trap. >> reporter: the webster police chief said that william spengler likely set the fire intentionally and waited to ambush the first responders. spengler spent 17 years in prison for beating his grandmother to death with a hammer in 1980. when police surrounded his position monday, he shot himself.

the flag at the webster fire department will now stay lowered for the firemen lost. michael >> they're always there for you. you take them for granted. you have don't know -- >> reporter: the two wounded ones are expected to live as another town tries to come together to deal with a holiday tragedy. for "cbs this morning," i'm jim axelrod in new york. tv's beloved every man jack klugman has died. he played the sloppy sportswriter oscar madison on "the odd couple" and the gruff medical examiner in "q

♪ we're looking back this morn at some of the favorite stories of 2012. david letterman put on a unique

show last week at ball state university. >> as jeff glor reports, the late show interviewed another tv legend oprah winfrey. >> when i look out at this audience i have the same thought each time, we really should charge for tickets. >> reporter: david letterman opened with a joke but this was no comedy show. for an hour and 40 minutes, letterman and oprah winfrey discussed everything from race to the abuse winfrey abused as a child. >> race continually -- continuously sexually molested from 10 to 14. >> reporter: winfrey talked about these issues before but never for a man for 16 years she refused to talk to at all. >> oprah and i have spent one night together, 16 years ago. 16 years ago. she hasn't spoken to me since. [ laughter ] that is my history with women in a nutshell.

>> reporter: from 1989 to 2005 winfrey locked letterman out. >> i found out that oprah hated me. >> reporter: he said two years ago it's because he stuck winfrey with an old lunch bill. backstage, oprah told us it was something else. much has been made of this -- >> so-called feud. >> reporter: iciness. how do we refer to that? >> i don't know what -- distancing, let's call it a distancing. i have done a show of his and during and the process of the show, people started yelling bad things and i thought that he should have taken control of the situation or he didn't take control of the situation. it was such an uncomfortable experience for me. >> number one -- >> reporter: after a decade and a half of off and on prodding from letterman seven years ago the ice breaker. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome oprah winfrey. [ applause ]

>> reporter: that was followed by a brief super bowl ad. >> now, dave be nice. >> reporter: letterman finally appearing on "the oprah winfrey show." >> i thought you would have picked up the phone. >> i wanted to be asked, oprah. [ laughter ] >> reporter: but there was nothing like this. you said you never had therapy. >> no. >> reporter: it sounded like we were watching therapy. >> like dave is giving me therapy. i'm thinking is this a full circle moment or what? i am sitting on stage in a real conversation with dave letterman who's asking me you know thing, i hadn't thought about for years. >> we love you! >> reporter: the conversation at ball state where students camped out waiting for tickets traced winfrey's path from mississippi to media titan. so much to cover, the university's president thought she was supposed to wrap it up. >> may we help you? [ laughter ]

>> we're talking here. we're talking here. >> reporter: letterman and winfrey kept rolling 45 minutes past the scheduled end time. >> i am -- again, i hate to invoke the word stunned. you and i have lived much different lives. i mean, i think that's -- >> you are a white man. [ laughter ] >> reporter: when you're up there like that, do you miss the show? >> i do not miss the show. i don't miss the show. i thought about it for a very long time. i knew that it would be very important that when you let it go, you really can let it go. what i do now -- all those years i never looked at my own ratings but now when the rating sheet comes in for everybody else's, i look at the whole list of the people all fighting it it out for a couple of rating points.

>> reporter: as winfrey navigates her next move her cable network trying to seek its own ratings growth she put one rough patch behind her, mostly. >> i said to him, dave maybe if we can't call ourselves friends maybe at least we can say we're friendly. we're friends right now. >> reporter: that's the way to refer to him? friendly friends. >> we're friendly friends. you can't say you're a friend until you sat at somebody's table, you have experienced something with them, you have experienced some challenging event or you have been able to be there and support them. that's when you know if you're a friend. that's why i don't throw that word around. but you know that, you know, we have opened a door. >> reporter: thanksgiving dinner next year? >> maybe not that friendly. >> you know, i happen to be there that day, because we were headed to south africa after the interview. it was great to see them together because it was a mutual admiration and respect for each other. i do think they have bonded. i really do believe that.

>> david seems to be talking more about himself these days. >> he is. he is. oprah had done an interview for her network that will air later and i'm seated next to regina his wife. she asked about the problems on his show affair with his staffer and regina was sitting next to me and he was so candid and open about i. you're right, charlie, when you say he's more open. you have found that too? >> yeah, i interviewed him -- >> do you think it's fatherhood? >> i think fatherhood has changed him significantly. everybody tells you it will be this way, and you don't believe and it happens and you're true. >> you're taking out the baby pictures, hey, here is my son. one of those. and in a speech last month, nfl commissioner roger goodell addressed the increase in brain injuries. we talked about that and more in a wide ranging interview which happened just before a

controversial ruling that struck down four players' suspension in the bounty scandal. has the nfl done enough to stop concussions and to recognize when they happen? >> well i don't think you've ever done enough. what we talked about yesterday was a comprehensive approach to tell people what we have done, but we still believe we have more work to do. >> that very speech suggest you were worried about the public perception of the nfl? >> no, we believe as leaders in the sports that part of our responsibility is to bring recognition to the injury. an injury that we think happens in other sports football it's one of the major challenges and we want to show people what we're doing in football to make not only football safer, but i think we'll make all sports safer. >> this is what else you said in the speech. a cultural shift was needed to change the warrior mentality of players unwilling to disclose when they are hurt. >> well, i told the story in that speech, charlie about a

15-year-old girl playing field hockey. it was a friend of our family. and she fell on the turf, passed out momentarily, got up and continued to play. that's warrior mentality in a 15-year-old girl. we need to make sure when players are injured, no matter the sport or who they are, they need to seek medical attention so they can get the proper care. >> warrior mentality also is bounty for taking out players. aaron rodgers said the other night -- said the other day, to scott pelley, he assumes he is being the subject of that kind of effort to take him out of the game. >> well, we took a very strong position on bounties. for three years we had had charges that it was happening in new orleans. we finally got the information. we took a very strong position. it's clear that it happens it's been admitted to that it happened. i think what we need to do is make sure not only in the nfl, but in every level of football and every sport, that that kind

of thing is inappropriate. you do not have a reward for injuring an opponent. that's not what sports are all about. >> i talked to drew brees recently. here's what he said. i'd say despite the injustices at the league office and commissioner goodell have committed against our team and against sean payton specifically, i think i'd ask himself what would sean want us to do and he wants us to focus on winning the football games. he feels the league is unfair. >> well they have their appeals and that's going in front of the former commissioner. we have to enforce our rules and make sure that when we see violations of our rules particularly in the case of bounty that can be dangerous to other players that we're enforcing those properly. i'm not going to in any way compromise on that. >> now, you have also raised an awareness about growth hormones

being part of this. what's that? >> well, we have had performance-enhancing drug program, that being steroids. we agreed to hgh testing program. it would take hgh hopefully out of the game. we think this is wrong for players' safety and for the integrity of the game. we hope to reach that agreement with our players association because it needs to get out of the game. it needs to get out of sports in general. >> what did you learn from the referee bargaining? >> you never want to have those type of disputes going on. that's something that we apologize to our fans. i apologize to the fans. we don't want those kind of things to happen. but the reality is they're part of making sure that the long-term good of the game is handled properly. what we have now are changes in our program that will help make officiating better. we are still making mistakes on the field of officiating. that's part of officiating. it's an imperfect science. we think we have the best but we

need to continue to improve. >> nfl football is one of the most attractive sports in terms of television and everything else. it's american -- americans love football. do you think it can expand beyond america? >> well, we had great success over in the u.k. next year we'll expand it to two games and we're playing in toronto. we have had great success in other markets like mexico and the far east. i believe our future is very bright overseas. the game is very popular. our fans on a global basis want more and more football. that's what we're doing. we're responding to that interest. >> you talked about the culture. football players in the nfl are role models and in the nba as well and in other professional sports. how do you make sure that the players appreciate that by their personal conduct? >> well, we have a personal conduct policy which was put together with the players. and it's very important because they are role models and they're held to a higher standard. i think all of us in the nfl are

held to a higher standard. when we don't reflect well on what i call the nfl or ourselves, then we're going to be held accountable. we have a program that's focused on education. it's on discipline. and when people don't meet the standard of the nfl, we're going to take action. there are consequences for that. >> what do you worry about the most? >> i worry about player health and safety. that's the number one challenge and focus. we want to keep our athletes safe and also athletes not just football or in the nfl, but every level. and efvery other sport. >> television coverage makes it attractive to watch at home rather than the stadium. is it a problem for the owners? >> it's a challenge for us. watching it in high-definition super slow-mo is a great experience. that's gotting to change. our challenge is how do we make sure that that same kind of experience happens in the

stadium, so we're bringing technology into the stadium. we're working harder to making sure that the fans feel safe. they have to have a great experience. >> you wrote a famous letter which i have talked to you about before. written to your father. and you said two thing, i want to make you proud of me and secondly, i want to be the commissioner of the nfl. you have clearly made your father proud of you and you clearly have been the commissioner of the nfl. having served for a long time at the nfl. how long will you continue to serve as commissioner? >> i will tell you i'll do it as long as i can make a difference. if i can make the game better, make it more popular and safer for the athletes then i'll continue to do it. but at some point i'll move on and do something else. >> thank you, roger goodell. good to see you. >> good to be with you, charlie. >> since we have done that interview, he was on the cover of "time" magazine suggesting that the questions coming and he is the focus and the guy who's in charge of the nfl. >> i thought it was fascinating

he said we need to lose the warrior mentality that he worries about health and safety and you shouldn't play if you're not -- if your health is in jeopardy. but as an athlete, do you think men athletes in particular will say, well, i'm not going to play because i'm injured? it seems like they get out there and that's what they want to do. play through the pain. >> one of the reasons that they initiated this thing, so somebody will check with you on the sidelines of the game to see if you had a concussion. we have the kennedy center honors tomorrow night here on cbs. we'll sit down with one of the honorees, a ballerina kreldcredited with the way we look at dance. you can learn amazing things from sharks if you don't mind going close. we'll follow this great white shark. that's ahead on "cbs this morning."

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and merry christmas everyone. it's 7:26. i'm frank mallicoat. some bay area headlines now: they're looking for the cause of a three alarm fire in campbell. it started before 5:00 this morning on dell avenue. flames consumed the back of the building. they're getting ready for more high water in east palo alto in the creek. there was some flooding in area on sunday and now crews are working to shore up the levees in that area. and hundreds of volunteers are serving up breakfast to the homeless at the glide memorial church in san francisco right now. a lot of ham a lot of turkey being carved up. they'll start dishing up

christmas dinner at 9:00 this morning. got the traffic and weather coming up on this christmas day right after the break. stay right in.

merry christmas, we have storm clouds rolling into the bay area. nicedy to stay inside and enjoy the family as the rain will be picking up it looks like. a very big storm system sliding in again can'ting heavy rain and some gusty winds in the afternoon. our cbs 5 hi-def doppler radar has been showing us some showers making their way across the bay area mainly to the north but they'll be on the increase especially middle of the day and the afternoon. highs only in the low to about the mid 50s a cool day as well. next couple of days the showers continuing. then thursday we'll catch a break in the stormy weather but another storm roll in on friday. let's check out the traffic now. okay thanks lawrence. and yeah not much traffic out

there to speak of. we'll show you a couple of live looks, northbound 880 the nimitz. cruising past the oakland coliseum. the broadway off ramp remains shut down due to --

ññç"= ♪ welcome back to this special christmas edition of "cbs this morning." we're looking back fondly today at some of our favorite moments of the past year the stories that stuck in our minds, and the personalities who really stood out. >> for 35 years, the kennedy center honors have recognized performers of the greatest influence on american culture through the arts. and one of this year's honorees actually began her career in another country, on the other side of the cold war.

♪ >> reporter: the seeds of natalia's success are rooted in the tradition of russian ballet. her steps flawless. ♪ >> reporter: her passion the key to the soul of her characters. ♪ >> reporter: from "giselle" to "swan lake." ♪ >> sometimes i think it's the most difficult ballet for ballerina to achieve not perfection come close to perfection. >> reporter: how did you end up in ballet school? >> by chance. >> reporter: by chance? >> yeah. i think it is like a ruse in my life. every important thing in my life happened by chance. >> reporter: natalia's journey began at 13 at the prestigious

school in leningrad, a calling she almost missioned after auditioning. >> they were impressed. and then director asked me for my telephone number home telephone number. and being absentminded i gave the wrong number. then i was -- >> reporter: gave the wrong phone number? >> yeah. but they found me in a month or two months later they find me. i don't know how they find me otherwise. >> reporter: in 1959 she joined the famed kirov ballet. ♪ >> reporter: for ten years was the pride of the nation. [ applause ] >> reporter: at the height of her career natalia had to make

a choice between who she was and what she would become. >> why did i defect? to achieve something i was hungry for. dancing to more working with different choreographers. >> reporter: while on tour in london, friends urged her to seek political asylum. >> and i closed my eyes and i really started to cry and cry and cry. kind of hysterically. and i said okay, i'm ready, you can call the police. >> reporter: and your life changed. >> start new life. >> reporter: at the american ballet theater in new york city natalia found a freedom of expression she had never known.

♪ >> reporter: with the best choreographers of the 20th century. and her russian contemporaries. you danced with barishnikov, you said it was russian madness, why? >> because we are both russian and passionate. you see it on our face. >> she is a huge factor in many ways of me being here and who i am and what if i achieved anything. without her i wouldn't have been who i am, and i wouldn't be here. [ applause ] >> reporter: at 72 natalia has had a celebrated career. one now honored by the kennedy center for her commitment to her art. >> you feel like one, not two -- >> reporter: but natalia never

forgot her roots. she choreographs the lost russian classic for audiences around the world. ♪ >> it's self-expression. i want to enlarge the horizon to challenge myself probably. >> reporter: and in 1989 in the twilight of her illustrious career, she returned to where it all began. the first artistic compile-- exile allowed to return to perform with the ballet company. what was it like? >> terribly intense. it's like emotional roller coaster. i was going to reunite with my mother, with my family with my friends. who i didn't see for 19 years. >> reporter: her country embraced her. and as the curtain fell natalia

took her final bow. >> the audience was really incredible. this amount of love this emotion. you know these true feelings. there's no words to describe really. >> i couldn't go this year, but i know you two were both there. we'll get to see it tomorrow. i can't wait to see. what did you like? >> i love the kennedy center honors. >> me, too. >> what culture, dustin hoffman, led zeppelin david letterman. there's really no other event. it's great that it's broadcast on cbs. >> it's great to be there because the president's up in the balcony. >> yeah. yeah. >> with the honorees. >> yes. >> and then they do a presentation by -- you know they do a presentation that signals and gets it off to a nice touch, and then they have a film. you get up everybody gets up and turns to where the honorees are and gives them a nice appreciation.

>> it turns into a really good party. and i keep thinking every year when you go -- turns into a great party. every year i think they can't possibly come up with another class as they call it, and every year they come up with somebody. >> incredible artists. >> you can see the kennedy center honors tomorrow at 9:00 8:00 central here on cbs. and this past summer massachusetts had its first great white shark attack since 1936. you know, scientists don't know that much about the everyday habits of sharks. and jeff glor went along on a mission to see what makes them tick. if you're living with moderate to severe crohn's disease, and it feels like your life revolves around your symptoms, ask your gastroenterologist about humira adalimumab. humira has been proven to work for adults who have tried other medications but still experience

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♪ over the summer we reported on a series of great white shark encounters off the coast of cape

cod, massachusetts. after that an unprecedented mission to learn what these scary creatures do in the ocean. jeff glor went to sea with a group of scientists playing tag with the ocean's top predators. good morning. nora good morning to you. the public has been fascinated with sharks for thousands of years, long before "jaws." for all the interest there's been a stunning lack of information. we spent time with the people who say they're trying to put facts behind the fear. >> about a 15-foot shark. >> greg mcbride has has 2 great white sharks on board before. this time is different. >> different from anything i've caught for sure. it was like until that thing was released, everybody was -- you could see it in their eyes so focused. >> reporter: focused because what happened on september 13

catching, spot tagging, and releasing a white shark, was a first in the waters of the north atlantic. how many sharks are there off the coast of new england? >> i think hundreds a lot. >> reporter: a lot? >> there are supposed to be. they're their are supposed to be a lot of sharks in the ocean. they're the balance keeper they keep everything moderated everything in the water. if we put the future of sharks in jeopardy, we put the future of the whole ocean in jeopardy. >> reporter: chris fisher started a nonprofit called o-search with the goal of bringing together the best fishermen and scientists. >> we don't know where they breed. we don't know where they feed. we don't know where they give birth. until we figure that out, we can't put policy in place to protect them and make sure they have a future. back in the day when scientists wanted to learn about white sharks, they would go out and kill them all. >> great job, fellows -- >> and sample. now at least we have a system where we let them go alive. >> whoa whoa! >> reporter: fisher's aggressive system involves fixing those

satellite enabled tags to the dorsal fin. once released, they can be tracked in real time for anniversaries anywhere in the world. mcbride is responsible for guiding the shark on to the lift, then inexerting hoses into its mouth so it can breathe. his hands directly in front of 3,000 serrated teeth. >> you know, really it's not as dangerous as it looks, you know. >> reporter: come on! >> i'm not a thrillseeker. i really am i. i -- i really am not. i got to go home to a wife and kids. one less arm would not be good. >> reporter: he partners with the massachusetts division of marine fisheries. after a summer of increased shark sightings, he was hoping for answers. is how is it possible we don't know anything about them? >> we spend a lot of time trying to figure out why they occasionally bite people and not how they live. >> reporter: on day one of the

expedition, we boarded the main ship as the crew began chumming the waters. >> the conditions right now are -- >> conditions right now are perfect. the temperature of the water is perfect for white sharks to just show up now. >> reporter: but as we learned after three days and no whites fishing's a study in patience. this trip tested everyone's. why is this so tricky? >> well largely because we've never done this before frankly. we know it works in other parts of the world, we just don't know if it works here. >> reporter: then, two hours later -- >> got it. >> got it. >> reporter: just as the sun was setting -- >> the buoy -- >> reporter: they found out. >> nice, nice shark. >> we have a visual. >> whoa! whoa! >> secondary. watch yourself. move. >> reporter: now that the shark is on the lift this is when the scientists do their work. blood and other samples, an

accelerometer to measure speed. and of course the spot tag to pinpoint location. [ applause ] >> get him in the water. everybody off. >> go girl! >> yeah! >> can you believe it? >> i can't. >> reporter: why does it mean so much to you? >> you know, i don't know. i just feel like the ocean's getting hammered. doesn't have a lot of time left. it's one place where i find like real clarity and peace. and if we don't do it then who? there's no one behind us. >> he's a cool guy. a cool guy. >> and true adventurers. >> what have we learned? >> well after they caught jeannie and released jeannie, they found mary lee five days later. almost twice as large a 3,500-pound white shark off the coast of cape cod. and mary lee was tagged as

well, and released. so what's interesting here is that where they traveled, mary lee and jeannie -- jeannie hung out around cape cod it appears for a while and then went south. mary lee made a b line to the coast of florida, it seems. as many people do during the winter. >> get away from the boat. >> the great white -- a collaboration. they come together. >> they seem to be in cahoots together good morning and merry christmas. we've got storm clouds moving in again and it looks like it is going to be a rather fierce afternoon as the storm going to bring the possibility of some heavy rainfall maybe even some thunderstorms. the temperatures are going to stay cool as well. plan on highs only in about the low to the mid 50s. the storm moving in toward the middle of the day and the afternoon hours, and showers continuing into wednesday. dry weather expected on thursday. more storms as we head toward the weekend.

as the daughter of a president and niece two of senators, caroline kennedy is a living reminder of her family's political legacy and its great sacrifices. we'll have her revealing conversation in our next half-hour. you're watching "cbs this morning."

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investigators are of this morning' good morning, it is 7:56. i'm elizabeth wenger, investigators are looking into a cause this morning of a three alarm fire. it happened in campbell. it started just before 5:00 this morning at the engineering building on dell avenue. at division street. fire says it started at the back of the building. well, there's some uncertainty in east palo alto this christmas day with crews scrambling to repair a rev lee ahead of the next storm. sunday heavy rain caused the creek to spill over the levee. crews are sandbagging and making emergency repairs as even more rain is expected later this afternoon. with more on your weather forecast, plus a check of

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good morning, and merry christmas to everyone. clouds rolling across our skies, some showers have already begun to show up at least in parts of the north bay. that will continue and intensify to the middle of the day and the afternoon. in fact our cbs 5 hi-def doppler radar's been showing some showers already. most of that rolling in though toward the middle of the day with some gusty winds a possibility and only isolated thunderstorms. showers continuing tomorrow and dry day on thursday. more rain possibly on friday into the weekend. we're going to check out the time saver traffic now with elizabeth. it is pretty quiet in all the bay area roadways. superquiet on this christmas morning crossing the golden goat gauge. this is a live look and traffic coming into san francisco. if you plan on using mass transit a lot of systems on a holiday schedule. a. train no service. have a great day.

♪ hark the herald angels sing glory to the newborn king ♪ ♪ peace on earth and mercy mild ♪ >> it is 8:00 a.m. merry christmas and welcome back to "cbs this morning." i'm charlie rose along with gayle kick and norah o'donnell. one of the reasons i love christmas i get to wear my nice red tie. >> i don't know all of your wardrobe. >> something to be desired. >> but i've never seen that before so this is perfect for christmas morning. >> for saint pat's day. >> merry christmas to both of you. >> so far so good. on this christmas morning we're going to take a look back at

some of the most memorable stories and interesting personalities of the past year. including our conversation with caroline kennedy. >> before we get to that here's rebecca jarvis with a check of this morning's headlines. >> norah, good morning and merry christmas. it's going to be a stormy christmas for millions of americans. meteorologist jeff berardelli has the details. good morning to you, jeff. >> good morning, rebecca. good morning, everybody. what we have is a strong storm diving south from the rockies, into texas. we already have severe thunderstorms ongoing in places like texas, and also in louisiana. we expect that continue during the day today. and here's the reason why. we have a moist southeasterly surface flow of very strong jet stream in the upper levels. i think we're going to see a lot of severe thunderstorms all across the southeast. some of them will produce strong tornadoes. now on the northern side of the system, it's snowfall and there's going to be a ton of it during the day today, places like oklahoma city little rock southeastern portions of

missouri. and then on wednesday and thursday, as much as 1 to 2 feet of snow in interior portions of the northeast. that's going to cause major travel problems in the ohio valley great lakes, and northeast on wednesday and thursday. >> all right. jeff berardelli, thanks so much. a christmas eve tragedy in a small town outside of rochester, new york. police say an excon named william spangler ambushed some volunteer firefighters after setting fire to his house and car monday. he killed two and wounded two others. a police officer was also wounded. and spangler killed himself. his sister who lived with him is still missing. christmas celebrations are under way around the world this morning. here in new york thousands packed st. patrick's cathedral for midnight mass. overseas a similar scene in bethlehem, where the faithful gathered in the town where tradition says jesus was born. manger square was packed with lights and decorations. in afghanistan, the trust

between u.s. and afghan forces has been marred by so-called insider attacks. kitty logan spent time with a small group of american military volunteers trying to repair that damage. >> reporter: these are special deliveries for operation outreach. it's a u.s. military charity which offers help and hope to afghan families touched by war. american troops volunteer their time alongside local civilians. the captain runs the project. >> we solicit donations from back home. people send stuff in the mail. we organize and then send it out to the community -- we take missions ourselves to the community. >> reporter: the team's visit to a day-care center creates a rush of excitement. >> you didn't get one? >> reporter: a chance, too, for americans to play a positive role in the local community. >> if we're out there and talking to the people and helping them, and we're making even a minor difference in their lives, you know, they're going to remember that. >> reporter: the schoolbooks and

toys which these children have received are a luxury for them. the day-care center normally doesn't have the resources to buy them and their families back home may also be too poor to provide them. it's not just new toys, there are new friends, too. >> there we go. >> reporter: at a time when trust between afghans and americans is fading, it's a positive step. for "cbs this morning," kitty logan, kabul. charles durning, the so-called king of character actors, has died. the two-time oscar nominee played everything from a song and dance man to the pope. charles durning was 89.

50 years ago, president kennedy asked the cia to install taping devices in the oval office. many of his conversations with cabinet members and heads of state appear for the first time in a new book. >> "listening in: the secret white house recordings of john f. kennedy" has a forward by the president's daughter, caroline. we recently talked about the tapes and listened to some of them including a letter that kennedy dictated to his wife jackie about their little girl. >> dearest jackie i'm dividing this letter into two parts. one typewritten and the other handwritten. typewritten part to give you the news of my visit to newport. i went up there last friday afternoon, and caroline looks beautiful. she was a great success on the beach and seemed to love the water. >> what goes through your mind knowing that it's a father talking about his love for his daughter?

>> oh, it's great. the scene that he is describing is really familiar, so it's really nice to be able to place both of us in that scene. >> what did you learn about your dad listening in? >> well, i think i got, first of all, i got a much greater appreciation for him at work. i think his -- no kid knows what their parents do all day. for me, this was really in that way incredibly moving. i mean, i feel so lucky that there are so many recordings of him and all of that that give me a way to learn about and connect with him. >> you said something interesting, it's true, no kid really knows what their parents do. here you are at the time of his death, 5 going on 6. what did you think he did? when did you know that he was president of the united states, or did you ever know that? >> i don't know. i guess he became president when i was 3. it was just, you know, whatever, where we lived, what i did. i remember dancing. he would clap his hands, and my brother and i would dance. and i remember, you know, it was

a big treat to go over and see him in his office. >> very serious things happened in the oval office, of course. one of them was the cuban missile crisis. >> very possible the russians will fire at them as they board, and we'd have to fire back and have quite a slaughter. i would think we'd want two or three things. first, i think we'd want some control over the cameras aboard these boats so that we don't have people shooting a lot of pictures which in the press might be embarrassing to us. >> yeah, we're going to control all the picture taking on the boats. >> second i don't know enough about the ships, but where they ought to fire or whether they ought to go through three or four steps, ask them to stop. if they don't stop ask the crew to come above the deck so we have this record made. >> were you surprised at how detailed he was? >> i think that really came through in so many of these conversations, his attention to detail. that was something that i had always heard about from my mother. i mean, he was really paying attention to every bit of -- a lot of things. >> what did your mom say to you about his attention to detail?

>> he just had a -- incredible memory, incredible curiosity. you know, really always wanted to know everything about whatever was going on. >> you know, one thing that really struck me was his involvement in the civil rights. i look at the country today. there's so many people that don't know the history, have no clue about the history of civil rights. and here is your father speaking very passionately about a young black student who had been admitted to the university of mississippi. they were protesting on the grounds. they do not want james meredith there. and your father was talking to the governor about that. >> we've got to get order up there and that's what we thought we were going to have. >> mr. president, please, why don't you give an order to remove him. >> how can i remove him, governor, when there's a riot in the street and he may step out of that building and something happen to him? i can't remove him under those conditions. let's get order, then we can do something about meredith. we've got to get somebody up there now to get order and stop the firing and the shooting. then you and i will talk on the phone about meredith. first we've got to get order. >> he's really mad. i know that sound of voice from

my aunts and uncles. i think that you know civil rights really went from being an important but not heated issue at the very beginning of his presidency, to the major domestic crisis of the 20th century, and the moral issue of our times. >> what do you think he would have thought of barack obama? >> well, i think one of the things that i think both of them shared was just bringing in a whole new generation to the democratic process. and i think that that's really a significant accomplishment and legacy. we don't even know what all the people that barack obama inspired are going to contribute yet. >> are you ever overwhelmed by your legacy? because you know, when people think of kennedy, they think of camelot, they think of your mom, they think of your dad, they think of your brother. and now, you know, of course we have you. were you ever overwhelmed by -- >> now of course we have you. >> we do. you know what i mean, caroline. we do. >> i know. >> are you ever overwhelmed by

the legacy of that, or do you go through thinking, you know, it just isn't fair? >> well, i'm really proud of my family and my -- i mean, my parents. i can't imagine having better parents and a more wonderful brother. so i feel really fortunate that those are my family. and you know, i wish they were here, but -- >> of course. >> my own family, my children, my husband, are really my real family and so we don't really think of -- >> you don't really think of larger kennedys? >> right, no. >> no? we're just us. >> we're just us? >> right. >> she may think we're just us, but everybody else when she walks in goes, "there's caroline kennedy." now her son, jack, is 20. they both went to the democratic convention. he was doing a couple of interviews. and i said to her, he seems a little interested in politics. she said if he is he is and that's okay. >> interesting. >> although jackie kennedy did not want her son to go into politics. >> yes.

>> right. sorry, didn't want him to go into acting but hoped he would go into politics or business. >> inyesterday ill interview. >> very interesting to hear care ien kennedy -- >> what a pressure to have those tapes. to get to hear your dad and history. >> all right from that now to this story. mr. potato head. >> make a transition with that. >> exactly. you know when mr. potato head first went on sale you had to buy a potato to go with hit. well, he's come a long way since then. all the way to hollywood. mo rocca looks at his lasting appeal next on "cbs this morning." it takes, get to sears after christmas sale get 60% off coats, fleece, sweaters, and sleepwear up to 40% off all nordictrack treadmills and ellipticals and up to 50% off all mechanics tool sets and wrenches this is how to gift yourself. this is sears.

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♪ mr. potato head, that classic mix and match toy celebrated a milestone birthday this year. he turned 60, and he still looks the same. over the last six decades, more than 100 million mr. and mrs. potato heads have been sold in 30 different countries. and as mo rock ka explains excuse the pun, that's no small potatoes. >> reporter: employees of the toy giant hasbro gathered at their rhode island headquarters not to toast the strong earnings report or to introduce a new product. ♪ happy birthday to you ♪ >> reporter: but to celebrate the 60th birthday of a man who served them very well.

mr. potato head. >> 60 years old. congratulations. >> reporter: and jerry perez oversees the mr. potato head brand. >> what we're looking at here is the original mr. potato head. the parts. just parts and of course with the real potato. >> reporter: in the beginning, mr. potato head was just a collection of push-pin eyes ears, nose and lips for kids to attach to real fruits and vegetables. a unique toy and the first marketed directly to kids. >> mr. and mrs. potato head. >> it's the first toy advertised on tv, is that right? >> it was. the minute he came out he was advertised on television which was pretty breakthrough at that time. >> you can make the funniest looking people in the world. >> reporter: it was kind of a brand-new way to tell the public about your toy. and it really caught on. >> reporter: caught on so quickly, in fact, the toy tater made more than $4 million in its first year alone. less than a year later, on valentine's day, 1953, the spud

met his spouse. when mr. potato head was courting the future mrs. potato head, did he send her a mash note? >> i'm sure he did. somewhere along the line, i'm sure he did. but you know what? that's between those two. >> reporter: in 1964, responding to parents' complaining about rotting potatoes, the two birds got plasticors sews which doubled in size ten years later. along the way, they collected a lot more accessories. how many different parts are there? >> there are 365 different parts for the potato head that we've got going on right now. >> reporter: no wonder he needs that tater tush compartment. yes, that's what it's called. according to mathematicians at columbia university, those hundreds of parts allow for over 500 billion, septillion possible configurations. >> no matter what generation it was, there was always something about his funny personality and kind of the mix and match parts

aspect of it that appealed to everybody. >> i'm picasso. >> in 1995 this portly pair went hollywood, alongside woody and buzz light-year in the blockbuster film "toy story." >> oh, my hero. the success of that franchise breeds new life into the toy inspiring other movie inspired characters like spider spud and darth tater. >> one of our best-sellers of all time. >> so why has this potato remained so hot for so long? child development expert shannon ice says its recipe for success is pretty simple. >> the toy is for a child to play in open ended ways to use their creativity and imagination and that's what makes it a classic. >> it's why in an age of ever more sophisticated video games stores around the world still find space on their shelves for a plastic potato. no batteries required. for "cbs this morning" mo rocca,

pawtucket, rhode island. >> you can find a story out of anything. >> i love that darth tater. just when you thought that mr. and mrs. potato head were going out of style, they were in "toy story" which i think really helped revive the toy again. >> i forgot about that. without giving anything away will your children be getting a potato head or do you not want to say? >> they will not be getting mr. and mrs. potato head. >> yeah. >> it's fun when you're little. >> fun when you're little. >> exactly. >> pastor rick warren's book the purpose driven life is available in 50 languages. we spent some time with him recently hearing his own thoughts on everything from religion to weight loss. that conversation is coming up on this christmas day, and you're watching "cbs this morning." one day george got an important letter. he's built a rocket ship to travel into space." google, how far is earth to the moon? the moon is 238,900 miles... "the great moment had come."

3, 2, 1... you're watching "cbs this

dale earn hart jr. is the son of a nascar legend and pretty good driver himself. we asked him to give advice to

his 16-year-old sale. -- 16-year-old self. >> and we had a lot to say. we'll reveal it ahead on "cbs this morning."

five headlines... investigators in campbell are trying to figure out what caused a hi everyone, it's 8:26. i'm frank mallicoat. some cbs 5 headlines hon this christmas day. investigators in am bell are trying to figure out what caused a initial building to give up -- commercial building to up if flames. it started before 5:00 on dell avenue a business and a car in the back of the structure were damaged. and salvation army volunteers here in san francisco are in the process of delivering more than 4,000 christmas meals on this holiday. those meals are for seniors and people with illnesses that can't get out of their house. volunteers aren't just dropping off the meals too. they're going to spend some time with those folks on the holiday as well.

got your weather and your traffic on christmas day coming up right after the break.

merry chris has. we've got storm clouds rolling into the bay area. a nice day to stay inside and enjoy your family as it looks like the line will be picking up. a very big storm system sliding in again expecting heavy rain and gusty winds as we head toward the afternoon. our cbs 5 hi-def doppler radar has been showing you some showers making their way across the bay area mainly to our north but they'll be on the increase especially toward the middle of the day and the afternoon.

highs will only be in the low to about the mid 50s a cool day as well. next couple of days the showers continuing then thursday we'll catch a break in the stormy weather but another storm roll in on friday to keep shower at least into the first part of the weekend. let's check out the traffic now. okay, thank you lawrence. and i just checked in with chp. there are no big accidents out there anywhere this morning. so if you are doing any traveling visiting family or friends, we'll show you the live traffic cameras, this is a live look at the bay bridge toll plaza. it's pretty much looked like this all morning. no metering lights obviously so no delays if you are heading into san francisco. the nimitz the live look at the east bay 880 in oakland. the oakland airport and you can see northbound and southbound both moving fine extra light volume. riding mass transit a lot of different systems are on a holiday schedule. ace train there's no service. everything so far on time. and checking some drive times across the east bay, we're in the green in the clear on the

nimitz. 580 the east shore freeway and 24. have a great christmas.

♪ welcome back to this very special christmas edition of "cbs this morning." we're taking a look back at some of our favorite guests and stories of 2012. hopefully yours, too. rick warren is considered one of the most influential voices in american life. he's a pastor philanthropist global strategist and best-selling author. >> and he just released his signature book "the purpose driven life," on his 10th anniversary. we spoke with the pastor recently about his life and philosophy. >> so you talk about "the purpose driven life: what on earth am i here for?" we were joking that charlie says

that to me every morning. >> you believe god has a purpose for me don't you? >> absolutely, charlie, even you. even you. [ laughter ] >> you do say in the book it's not about you. >> right. >> who is it about? >> well, it is all about god and his plan for us. the bible says god is love, not that he has love, he is love. so it's really all about learning how to love. learning how to love god. learning how to love each other. you know i'm -- most worried about this 20-something generation that is right n without work. i talked to three people on the plane who said, you know, i went to college four years, can't get a job. and now i'm told that my education really didn't matter that much. what's my purpose? >> uh-huh. >> so i thought that -- you know, it was time t rerelease

this for a new generation. as you said, about 20% of america read the book ten years ago. but a girl who was 12 years old is now 22. >> yeah. that brings me to politics beyond religion. on november 4 before the election, you posted on facebook, "why would anyone jobless today vote to maintain the status quo instead of change? unemployment is still higher than four years ago." what are your thoughts on president obama's re-election, i would say to you? were you saying to people if you are jobless today the president has failinged you and you should vote against him and vote for change in the presidency? >> well, what i was saying was the old recovery -- mantra, to do the same thing over and over and over and expect different change is called insanity. we spent $2 billion on an election that nothing changed. same congress, same senate same president. so should we expect change? i'm not that sure. >> therefore the re-election of president obama was a good thing or bad thing you think? >> well, i don't ever get into politics as you know, charlie. i've always said i'm not right wing or left wing, i'm for the whole bird. >> evidently, god wanted

president obama, he had a purpose for him, to be re-elected. do i follow that? what's the disconnect between those thoughts? god has a purpose -- >> we don't know god's purpose in a lot of events. i mean, i was at the notre dame/usc game on saturday night. people were praying for both sides to win. i don't think god has an opinion. >> god didn't care? >> god didn't have an opinion in that. >> but god does have an opinion in your life -- >> god's more interested in your character than your career. you're not taking your career to heaven. you are taking your character. so really what you do is not nearly as important as who you've become. and i would say god is extremely interested in who barack obama's becoming or who mitt romney's becoming or who you or i or nora are becoming because that's the character issue that's going to outlast our career. >> i've listened to people on television talk about -- a worry that we're becoming more secular. on the other hand you're

expanding -- >> yeah. >> are you worried about where we are as a society and our relationship to religion? >> well, you know one of the big reports that's been reported over and over and over nine months ago "newsweek" had a cover, "the decline and fall of christian america." in december, "newsweek," declines and falls. christianity is going to go on for another 2,000 years. these predictions of the church's demise are highly exaggerated. kingdoms come and gone. where's the syrian empire where's the nozazi regime? things come and go. there's misinterpreting of data. there was a result that came out that said the number of protestants in america i think it was a pugh study, dropped precipitously. of course it does. nobody calls themselves a protestant anymore. i don't know a single person. i'm an evangelical, i'm a -- >> what do you call yourself? >> i'm an evangelical. there's pentecostals

charismatics. people don't use the term. it would be like saying the number of pilgrims have dropped precipitously in america. nobody calls it a pilgrim. you can make it a question, say the wrong thing. >> is church attendance down? >> church attendance has stayed level since the 1950s. it's neither higher nor lower. this week, more people will go to church on one weekend than attend all professional sporting events in one year. let's put that in perspective. more people will go to a synagogue, church on one weekend than professional sports all year? >> why is faith important in so many people's lives, not just the united states but around the world, and religion becomes the heart of so many problems around the world? in conflict? >> absolutely. there are a lot of things that have been done in the name of god that god would disavow. i feel no responsibility to defend those things. what -- what we need not is

religion but a relationship. a relationship to god. "the purpose driven life" is about that. it's not about a religion, it's about how do i have a relationship. one day jesus was walking down the street somebody asked, "what's the most important thing in the bible?" he says, "i'm going to sum it up in two sentences. this is it cliff's notes. the whole bible. love god with all your heart. love your neighbor as yourself." the vertical -- vertical and the horizontal. and "purpose driven life" talks about how do i do both of those. how do i learn to love god with all my heart, and how do i learn to love my neighbor as myself? >> speaking of love thy neighbor as thyself i want to talk about gay marriage same-sex marriage civil unions. someone tweeted when you were coming on, said "ask him about his opposition to same-sex marriage." why do you oppose same-sex marriage? >> first let me ask you -- you consider yourself to be a will to ran person? >> i do. yeah. >> you would be respectful of people who disagree with you no matter what?

>> agreed. >> that's a very, very personal question. and people want to make an incendiary issue over it. i just -- i have biblical views of what i think marriage is about. i am in favor of not redefining marriage. i'm not. it's not illegal to have a boy to relationship -- to have a gay relationship in america. it's not a big issue to me. >> let me ask you, it's interesting. a pollster, bill mcintyre, his firm was mitt romney's pollster. he has talked about there's not been one issue where there's been so much change so quickly is on the issue of same-sex marriage. now, we saw the majority of americans support same-sex marriage. how do you -- how do you mix those two things which is a personal opposition that might be founded in religious faith based on what is public opinion that is shifting so dramatically on that issue? how do you merge those two things? >> well, as a pastor, i believe

in both the good news that i believe jesus is who he said he was, the son of god. and i also believe in the common good. and we -- we're in a democracy where nobody wins all the time. okay. for instance i happen to believe life begins at conception. but that's not the law. okay? >> and if other people don't believe that, you're tolerant of their views? right? >> and the point is nobody's leaving the country. we have a wide spectrum in america, and we have to work for the common good. and that means sometimes what i mean being co-belligerent. for instance i don't agree with everything that the national organization of women supports. but when they are opposing abortion -- not abortion but pornography that objectifies a body i'm going to go belligerent with them. so i don't happen to agree with everything that my gay friends believe, but when they end to end aids i'm a co-belligerent.

we've given millions to fight aids around the world. and we work with both gays straights, i can work with an atheist, a mormon i can work with a muslim a baptist, buddhist, joy, that's one of the issues that we have to work on. the work on what can -- >> the important thing is going to be what you said earlier in terms of same-sex marriage. you have to be tolerant of other people's views. so if they differ with you with respect to christianity -- >> yeah -- >> with respect to some of the things you say, you're tolerant and accepting that they came to their beliefs in a genuine way and have to be respected for that. >> the problem is that tolerance has changed its meaning. tolerant used to mean i may disagree with you completely but i'm going to treat you with respect. that's what tolerant means. >> right. >> today some people tolerant means you must approve of everything i do. that's not tolerance, that's approval. there's a difference between acceptance and approval. jesus accepted everybody no matter who they were. he doesn't approve of everything i do or you do or anybody else

does either. so you can be accepting without being approving. that's an important point. >> let me change this to a different note because in reading about you and having known lots of people who you consider to be good friends of yours -- >> yeah. >> you also went through a much publicized battle against weight. >> yeah. sure did. >> how did -- did you win that? >> that's hilarious. well, i've lost 50 pounds. i've got about 40 more to go. it's a really funny story. i was baptizing one day. and -- at saddleback we do it the old-fashioned way, we put people in the water. on this day i was baptizing 876 people. >> wow. >> along with that -- about 500, i had a not spiritual thought. i thought, we're all overweight. and so the next sunday i got up i said, folks, i can't ask you to get in shape unless i do. and i said, i've only gained two or three pounds a year but i've been your paster 32 years. i need to lost 90 pounds. i brought in three doctors, we started a thing called the

daniel plan. in the last year our church has lost 267,000 pounds. >> there's support in numbers. >> yeah. yeah. in fact, several national organizations -- we want to study you. your test group. >> you know what kudos to you and your parishioners for doing that and being a leader in that regard. and thank you, rick warren, for being here. >> thank you. >> such a great way to phrase a question -- did you win for those people who are always struggling with weight as i am, to say have you won the battle against the weight? that allows them to say, yeah, i'm fine, or no, i have more to do. >> it's not really a win/lose is it? it's a continuous main -- >> maintenance is just as hard as losing. just as hard. >> 90 pounds. he's halfway there. halfway there. we've heard some amazing things this year in our series we call it "note to self." this morning, dale earnhardt jr. shares i are revealing thought he'd like his 16-year-old self

♪ our sears "note to self" is based on this idea -- if you could offer insights and advice to a younger you what would you say? earlier this year popular nascar driver dale earnhardt jr. wrote about his relationship with his legendary dad and his own racing career. >> to a 16-year-old dale jr. i'm writing this letters to you to force me to think deeply about my life. and you know thinking deeply was never one of your favorite activities. you always did and always will shoot for the "c" on your report card. anything more than that is always going to be a surprise to you, right? you just got your driver's license, your heart belongs to

no one, and you're going to spend a lot of nights laying in the bed of your s-10 pickup in the field staring up at stars worry being your future. >> i want to be a race car driver someday. it's a great sport. i love it. >> your father's accomplishments on the race track already cast a pretty heavy shadow over your existence. and he's going to accomplish more in the years to come. and your fear of living anonymously and forgotten are just going grow. now you don't have much of a connection with your mother. and your efforts in that regard are disappointing. in the future she's going to become a consistent prominent figure if your life. but you shouldn't waste the years in between because her love is the truly unconditional kind you shouldn't take for

granted. living under your father's roof doesn't bridge this incredible gap between you two guys. but in due time you will enjoy the most incredible relationship with him. one afternoon after you crash your car, you're going to go home thinking your career's over. and then busting through the door comes your dad wondering why you're sitting on your tail feeling sorry for yourself. you and him are going bag out on the back steps. and for the next two hours, you're going to have the most influential conversation you've ever had with him. he's going to finally assure you of what lies ahead. you'll share laughs and triumphs and insight. it will be in your best interests that when those times come that you get everything out of them you possibly can. i mean when it's you and him in that moment in that moment

live it to the fullest. >> we've lost dale earnhardt. >> you want to be a race car driver, so let's talk about racing. when i look at your career from the start of gocarts all the way up, it's going to feel lucky and impromptu impromptu, and it's going to be lacking in successes, but -- >> earnhardt for the lead. >> fortunately for you, every weaned there will be another race. now with that said, you're going to be so deathly frightened of potential failure that you're not going to realize how much fun you're having. you're going to win a lot of races. as painfully shy as you are, you'll accomplish and overcome in arenas not just limited to

driving cars. you're going to meet the president. you're going to guest on late night shows. and it's incredible but it's true. and that's not too bad for a guy that changes oil for a living. yes, you're going to change oil for a couple of years. it's not as bad as it sounds. overall, you just need to be more sure of yourself. you're going to do great things man. you're going to have an awesome life. you have a great heart, and it's going to stay with you throughout. don't be so timid and worry so much about the future so much so that you can't enjoy the present. you're there worried about me here. you just need to go have some fun, man. jump in that s-10 and go down the concord and cruise the strip because you're going to be here soon enough. >> wow. >> that reminds me that the birth of eloquence is authenticity.

>> so true. >> yeah. and i love that he's saying don't be so timid. enjoy the moment. which is a nice note to self. >> and the way his dad lived. >> yeah. and to have fun. i'm amazed at how much thought people put in the "note to self." that was one of my favorite ones. >> absolutely. >> nicely done dale earnhardt jr., special salute to you. we'll be right back, you're watching "cbs this morning."

♪ christmas day. my memories of christmas are most of all when i lived during the formative years in a small town of 100 people. the constant search for where my christmas presents were. >> in north carolina? >> yes, north carolina. we had a wonderful, wonderful,

and i'm pleased with the opportunity to shout out her name, woman who lived with us named mary lizzie. and she -- they used to keep the presents in her room. and -- >> he knows where they hide. you know, at the end of the day, it's not really about the presents that you get, as exciting as it is. it really boils down to spending time with people you love and who love you. i think that's always the best thing that you can do on this christmas day. >> my fondest christmas memories are my first christmass with my babies. and i can remember dressing my twins in little santa outfits with little hats that said "my first christmas." absolutely adorable. >> your christmas present to me is having to work with both of you. thank you very much. >> likewise. >> you're welcome. i feel the same about you, charlie rose. we get another year to do it. i'm excited. >> we'll come back for another christmas. >> i will be back. >> a big gift wearing red and green. >> yes. that does it for us merry christmas to you, and have a

fabulous, wonderful, fantastic holiday. >> take it easy. >> thanks. ♪ -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

headlines. e looking into good morning everyone, a merry christmas. 8:56 your time. i'm frank mallicoat. get you call up with the cbs 5 headlines now here in the by area. investigators are looking into the cause of this morning's three alarm fire in campbell. started just before 5:00 this morning at the engineering building that's on dell avenue at division street. santa clara county fire says it started at the back of the building and nobody was injured. crews are scrambling to repair a levee ahead of the next storm in east palo alto. sunday all that heavy rain caused a creek near the four seasons hotel to spill over the levee there. workers are busy sandbagging and making emergency repairs as more rain is expected on this

christmas afternoon. and hundreds of volunteers are getting ready to serve christmas dinner at glide memorial church here in san francisco. the volunteers have been busy since early early this morning serving breakfast to the homeless. dinner starts in about five minutes and apparently turkey is on the menu. how about some weather on this christmas day? here's lawrence with more on that. >> merry christmas. nice day to stay inside and enjoy the family as it looks like the rain will be picking up a very impressive storm system leading in again expected some heavy rain and some gusty winds as we head toward the afternoon. our cbs 5 hi-def doppler radar has been showing you some showers making their way across the bay area mainly to the north. but they'll be on the increase especially toward the mid obviously the day and the afternoon. -- middle of the day can the afternoon. highs only in the low to mid- 50s a cool day as well. next couple of days the showers continuing then thursday we'll catch a break in the stormy weather but we could see another storm roll in on friday. to keep showers at least into the first part of the weekend. let's check out the traffic

now. look at you guys with your fancy-schmancy u-verse high speed internet. you know, in my day you couldn't just start streaming six ways to sunday. you'd get knocked off. and sometimes, it took a minute to download a song. that's sixty seconds, for crying out loud. we know how long a minute is! sitting, waiting for an album to download. i still have back problems. you're only 14 and a half. he doesn't have back problems. you kids have got it too good if you ask me. [ male announcer ] now u-verse high speed internet has more speed options, reliability and ways to connect. rethink possible.

good morning, if you're doing any traveling on bay area roads to visit this christmas manage this is what you'll encounter. if you're crossing the bridge even though the roads already look a little slick heading to san francisco from marin county. elsewhere a couple more live cameras. extra light volume. leaving there heading to san

jose. and a little further north this is the nimitz 880 through oakland passing the cool sue yes, ma'am quick ride to downtown. have a great -- coliseum. quick ride to downtown. have a great christmas.

>> today, do you want to try some turkey? >> heck yes i do . >> we are counting down the top 3 ways. >> boom. >> boom. >> boom. >> that america loves to cook a turkey. >> this is how you grill a turkey, rachael. >> call me! >> spread the word. >> we are revealing the #1 bird. >> so moist. >> and what's better than that? >> in front of you are 5 plates, we are going to blindfold you. >> which i normally charge for. [ laughter ] >> whitney cummings, battling to win the gobble game. [ laughter ] [ applause ] [ applause ] ♪ ♪ >> whoa! [ crowd cheering ] [ applause ] ♪ ♪